1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the composition of 3,3-bis(difluoroamino)-1,5-dinitratopentane, abbreviated herein as BFDNP, and the use of BFDNP as a plasticizer in energetic materials. More particularly, 3,3-bis(difluoroamino)-1,5-dinitratopentane is useful as an energetic plasticizer composition in propellants and explosives.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
Solid propellants containing aluminum or boron fuel exhibit improved metal combustion when fluorine is present as an oxidizer in addition to oxygen. Several patents disclose difluoroamino compounds in energetic compositions. U.S. Pat. No. 3,190,894 to Logothetis discloses 9,10-bis(difluoroamino)-9,10-dihydroanthracenes. U.S. Pat. No. 3,331,867 to Smiley discloses 1,2,5,6-tetrakis(difluoroamino)-3,4-hexanediol dinitrate compounds. U.S. Pat. No. 3,337,627 to Mueller, et al. discloses gem-bis(difluoroamino), 1,3,3-tris(difluoroamino), and 1,1,4,4-tetrakis(difluoroamino) compounds. U.S. Pat. No. 3,345,398 to Rhodes discloses 1,2-bis(difluoroamino) ethane diol-1,2 compounds. U.S. Pat. No. 3,375,259 to Gibson, et al. discloses propellants such as N,N'-bis(difluoroaminomethyl)urea compounds. U.S. Pat. No. 3,410,870 to Armstrong, et al. discloses 2,3-bis(difluoroamino)-1,4-butanediol dinitrate compounds. U.S. Pat. No. 3,729,501 to Rohrback, et al. discloses 1-difluoroamino-2,3-dinitratopropane compounds. U.S. Pat. No. 3,946,085 to Adolph discloses bis(2,2,2-fluorodinitroethyl)trichloroacetal compounds. U.S. Pat. No. 3,968,160 to Reed, Jr. discloses 1,2,3-tris[difluoroamino)ethoxy]-propane compounds. U.S. Pat. No. 4,001,059 to Petry discloses 1-cyano-2,3,5,6-tetrakis(difluoroamino)hexane compounds. U.S. Pat. No. 4,075,246 to Baum, et al. discloses,1,3-bis(2,2,2-fluorodinitroethoxy)-2,2-bis(difluoroamino)propane compounds. U.S. Pat. No. 4,118,414 to Goldstein, et al. discloses tris(difluoroamino)methoxypentaerythrityl trinitrate compounds. U.S. Pat. No. 4,141,910 to Flanagan, et al. discloses 1,7-diazido-4,4-difluoroaminoheptane compounds. U.S. Pat. No. 4,341,712 to Frankel, et al. discloses bis[5,5,5-fluorodinitro-2,2-bis-(difluoroamino)-pentyl]trifluoroacetal (SYTA) compounds. U.S. Pat. No. 4,376,665 to Marcellis, et al. discloses a mixture of pentaborane and tris(difluoroamino)fluoromethane compounds. U.S. Pat. No. 4,430,514 to Schack discloses production of difluoroaminotrifluoromethane compounds. U.S. Pat. No. 5,272,249 to Archibald, et al. discloses bis-(difluoroaminomethyl)oxetanes. U.S. Pat. No. 5,420,311 to Archibald, et al. discloses bis-(difluoroaminomethyl)oxetanes. U.S. Pat. No. 5,789,617 to Archibald, et al. discloses neopentyl difluoroamino compounds.
Other energetic plasticizers, such as 1,2,3 tris(1,2-bis(difluoroamino)ethoxy)propane (TVOPA), 2,2-bis(difluoamino)-5-fluoro-5,5-dinitropentyl formal (SYFO), and 2,2-bis(difluoroamino)-1,3-bis(fluorodinitroethoxy)propane (SYEP) also have been evaluated as plasticizers in aluminized solid propellants. However, TVOPA has limited chemical and thermal stability, and SYFO and SYEP are difficult to manufacture due to laborious, low-yield, multi-step syntheses.
There is a need in the art to provide new difluoroamino compounds for use in energetic compositions. The present invention addresses this and other needs.